I decided to take a few holiday tasks off of my plate this year to ease the stress of the holiday season.
One of those tasks was baking! However, I quickly realized I wouldn't have my typical tins of cookies to gift to friends and neighbors.
If you know me, you know I love fragrance-free aromas to scent my home.
I started brainstorming and quickly remembered one of my fall favorites, the simmer pot.
I started to think about simmer pots I had created in the past and browsed various gift ideas. That is when I decided, I could absolutely give the gift of a warm
and cozy aroma for friends and family without gifting scented soaps, oils, or diffusers.
I titled this gift a " Holiday Home" simmer pot. You can find the printable gift tag below the recipe.
Holiday Home Simmer Pot
You will need:
Sugar in the Raw or White Sugar
Rosemary Sprigs
Cloves or Mulling Spices
1-2 Oranges Thinly sliced
Cranberries
Cinnamon Sticks
Three of your favorite festive essential oils ( I used Christmas Spirit, Stress Away, and Orange from Young Living)
1. Take your thinly sliced oranges and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drop your favorite spiced oil onto each slice. I used Christmas Spirit.
Bake the slices at 250 degrees for five hours or less ( watch for browning). I turned mine at the 2.5 hour mark. Allow to cool completely.
2. Place 1-2 cups of sugar in a bowl. Add 10 drops of Orange oil and 10 drops of Stress Away oil to the sugar and mix.
( I tried this with vanilla extract and it did not go well)
3. In a clear bag, drop your sprig of rosemary and a cinnamon stick. Add 1-2 tablespoons of your sugar mixture. Top with a pinch of cloves and a few cranberries.
Before twisting the bag close, add your dried orange slice.
4. Once you have add all of your items, tie a ribbon at the top of the bag and attach the gift tag below. Your recipient will add 2 1/2/ cups of water to a pot, add the contents of the pouch and simmer.
Your friends and family are sure to enjoy this comforting aroma as they prepare for the holidays!
The great holiday aroma swap....
We are all doing our best to make our home smell like the holidays now. This typically means new soap, new home scents, holiday scented cleaners, holiday scented room sprays, holiday scented carpet powders, and holiday dish soap!
You can absolutely do all of this and have product to spare post holidays with the items below!
What you will need (and may already have!) is the Thieves Household Cleaner, Thieves Foaming Hand Soap Refill, Peppermint oil, Christmas Spirit oil, and Orange oil.
Holiday Foaming Hand Soap
4 ounces of Thieves Foaming Hand Soap Refill
10 drops Christmas Spirit
5 drops Orange
3 drops Peppermint
4 ounces distilled water
Mix in a foaming hand soap container and enjoy!
( You can make SEVERAL bottles of soap from this recipe)
Holiday Fresh Carpet and Upholstery Powder
2 cups Baking Soda
2 capfuls Thieves Household Cleaner
10 drops Peppermint
10 drops Orange
5-7 drops Christmas Spirit
Combine in a 16 ounce mason jar and sprinkle onto carpet or upholstery.
Allow to sit on carpet or furniture for 10 minutes and then vacuum.
Holiday Faux-breeze
10 drops Christmas Spirit
5 drops Orange
5 drops Peppermint
1 teaspoon vodka
4-6 ounces of distilled water
Add to continuous misting bottle ( Amazon) and enjoy in the rooms that do not have diffusers.
Holiday Cheer All- Purpose Cleaner
1-2 capfuls Thieves Household Cleaner
7 drops Christmas Spirit
5 drops drops Orange
3 drops Peppermint
Top with 16 ounces of water and get to cleaning!
Holiday Fresh Dish Soap
Take your bottle of Thieves Dish Soap and add...
10 drops Orange ( will actually help with caked on food)
5 -7 drops Peppermint
Sweet Scented Holiday Cards
Place your holiday cards in a Ziplock or airtight container.
Drop your choice of essential oil onto several cotton balls and place in container or bag allow with your
cards. Let sit for at least 24 hours!
Your recipients will enjoy the festive aroma that comes along with their mail this year.
Vacuum Hack
Drop 3-5 drops of your oils onto your filter before vacuuming a room.
Air Filter Hack
Drop several drops of essential oils onto your A/C filter before replacing
Grab your supplies for all of the above below. Whether you are making these fun recipes for yourself
or as gifts these recipes will not disappoint.
